i've only been in MN for 4 years, so this was an interesting historical read, thanks!

Too bad T-Paw and others won't read and learn.

What state, what nation, represents the ideals modern republicans want in this country? Is there a nation out there with low taxes and a weak government that the republicans think is the model? Where is this country where unelected corporate leaders set the standards and everyone is better for it? When will the republicans learn that a government of the people and for the people is not the problem?

Because you're missing the "by the people" piece of the puzzle.

I miss Rudy too! We used to have a consensus in MN about the public good, service and duty to the people. Rudy & Arnie could shake hands & mean it... Can the present "leaders" we have do that?

Bipartisanship does not equal intelligence or good policy. This is the latest attempt by the Growth & Justice crowd to link government spending levels to economic performance. The problem is that we have gone as far we can by simply throwing money at our problem(s). Unless you can say that you believe that every single dollar is being spent as productively as possible, you need to pause before repeating these claims to your local representatives.

So you prefer unelected business intrests having more power than elected officials? Are you not aware that this administration has blocked any oversight by our represenatives? How about secret energy policy meetings, lost e-mails or government e-mail sent through RNC servers in violation of the Hatch Act, lying to congressional investigators claiming "I don't recall" by the attorney general. Where is the accountability to the public?

by miacono. Given the Republican creed of greed, state dollars can't be spent productively because they are inadequate to provide the value they could provide by proper funding. We don't maximize the value of our inadequate funding for education when we only do a partial job. It's just like building anything, doing half a job undermines the efficiency of the investment.

In the Time cover photo, Anderson was holding up a northern pike, not a walleye. This is like saying the Republican convention is in Minneapolis.

Again, it is all the Rights fault, thank God we got that straight. Of course the dems had no part in the bills that failed to keep our educational system up to speed, they had no part in the failed infusion of cash that caused the 35W bridge collapse, they had nothing to do because those Evil Righties cut them out of government completely. Get real, both sides failed and so we the citizens and tax payer suffer.